They would rather not leave their home for another country, but are compelled to do so by their present circumstances, he added. Many fleeing Syria were part of the economic middle-class there before the civil war, but they saw the situation deteriorate over the years – witnessing appalling acts of violence – and eventually had no choice but to leave.
Many migrants from Central America to the U.S. in recent years have had to make the same decision, he pointed out, fleeing "exclusion, and social inequality, and violence."
O'Keefe praised one example of action taken to address the root causes of migration – the omnibus spending bill passed by Congress Dec. 18. The bill more than doubled funding for education and youth engagement programs in Central America which help youth at risk of gang violence and recruitment, which are chief causes of child emigration in the region. This was a "great step," he said.
Also, he said the effects of climate change are already increasing migration worldwide, with longer droughts and unusual weather patterns hurting crop yields. This forces some to move elsewhere for employment or away from food scarcity.
Scarcity of vital resources such as water can even further social unrest and conflict, he added.
CRS has helped about 800,000 refugees from Iraq and Syria, O'Keefe noted, and is providing food, water, and clothing to refugees passing through the "transit countries" of Greece, Serbia, and Macedonia on their way to northern Europe. In Iraq, they are building on to incomplete shelters to provide cheap housing for refugees there.
Ultimately, treating migration is not about handing out to materials to crowds, but encountering persons.
"The Holy Father, when he was here, reminded us when he spoke to the Congress that the refugees and migrants are not just numbers, but are people and faces," O'Keefe said.
Matt Hadro was the political editor at Catholic News Agency through October 2021. He previously worked as CNA senior D.C. correspondent and as a press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.